One of the coolest guitar solos I have heard in ages.

Bucket

I don't know how it has taken me so long to discover this album, but I have now and bloody hell. Go to 3:20 to hear a jarring, cut-together masterpiece from Jon Poole:



Apparently cut together from several takes, which explains the utterly bizarre sound, but it's just perfect. A very perverse and masochistic part of me wants to slow it down and see if it's even possible to learn it.

Cardiacs were a band I was always aware of, and knew a few tunes, but didn't really explore them any deeper. Now I've heard "Sing To God" I wish I'd thrown myself headlong into it a good couple of years ago. It's unbelievable. Such a shame they're now out of action after Tim Smith's health problems.

Jon Poole, by the way, went on to work extensively with Ginger Wildheart as a bassist, and then started The Dowling Poole with Willie Dowling, and is a guitarist, singer, bassist AND drummer on their stuff. He's an unbelievable musician.

JerkMoans

Somewhere I have a CD of Zappa covers Jon did on a four track in his bedroom... met him a few times when he was touring with the Wildhearts and ended up giving him an acoustic bass I never used cos he was on an acoustic tour and his had packed in one night at the St Albans Horn. Really decent chap and, as you say, v talented musician.

mental solo, btw.

Funkfingers

Cardiacs have employed that shamelessly obvious drop-in technique many times. Many, many times.

This version of "Is This The Life?" has been remixed and remastered. The KORG pad sounds normal but the other synth is brighter than I remember on vinyl. The guitar solo is extended - more like it would have been live, Jim. Jim. Jim. Jim.

Danny1969

Jon came down to my studio in 2013, 2014 maybe ... everyone called him Random .... great sense of humour and lovely bloke who liked a drink as much as I do. He was on bass and was in fact picking up a bass made by a good friend of mine called a Webb ... no idea if he still has it. He jammed with some other friends of mine in the live room for a couple of hours. 

Bucket

Danny1969 said:

Jon came down to my studio in 2013, 2014 maybe ... everyone called him Random .... great sense of humour and lovely bloke who liked a drink as much as I do. He was on bass and was in fact picking up a bass made by a good friend of mine called a Webb ... no idea if he still has it. He jammed with some other friends of mine in the live room for a couple of hours. 

Fantastic! Ginger Wildheart came up with "Random Jon Poole" as a stage name - it was his way of justifying to Wildhearts fans why there was a funny-looking bald chap with a bowler hat playing bass for them. Not that he needs justifying - I think he's one of the coolest bass players I've ever heard, and a big influence on how I play bass.

Apparently he got a very hard time from the fans on the first Wildhearts tour he did, simply because he replaced Danny McCormack - who at the time was so deep into substance abuse issues that he could barely play. Ginger said that those shows, and the reaction from the crowd, was one of the only times he had ever felt ashamed of the behaviour of his own fans.

Bucket

The more I listen to "Sing To God" the more I fall hopelessly in love with this band. It's a work of genius.

Sassafras

Better than the usual 'drivel' you post @Bucket ;
  

Bucket

Vid already posted above but here's a magnificent solo from Tim Smith - which more people might know, as this was the only thing they ever had that even approached being a "hit". Go to 2:30 and make sure you're sitting down.

Flanging_Fred

Bucket said: ki

I don't know how it has taken me so long to discover this album, but I have now and bloody hell. Go to 3:20 to hear a jarring, cut-together masterpiece from Jon Poole:



Apparently cut together from several takes, which explains the utterly bizarre sound, but it's just perfect. A very perverse and masochistic part of me wants to slow it down and see if it's even possible to learn it.

Cardiacs were a band I was always aware of, and knew a few tunes, but didn't really explore them any deeper. Now I've heard "Sing To God" I wish I'd thrown myself headlong into it a good couple of years ago. It's unbelievable. Such a shame they're now out of action after Tim Smith's health problems.

Jon Poole, by the way, went on to work extensively with Ginger Wildheart as a bassist, and then started The Dowling Poole with Willie Dowling, and is a guitarist, singer, bassist AND drummer on their stuff. He's an unbelievable musician.

Dude, I told you about the Cardiacs years ago and specifically this solo.!  It took you a while but I'm glad you found it eventually. It's just nuts.  I can't actually belive that solo is possible either but I stood in amazement to see Jon do it in front of me at the Joiners Arms in Southampton.

I grew up listening to the Cardiacs as my older brother was/is a huge fan.  'All the glitters is a mares nest ' Is a totally sublime live album. 

Bucket

Flanging_Fred said:

Dude, I told you about the Cardiacs years ago and specifically this solo.!  It took you a while but I'm glad you found it eventually. It's just nuts.  I can't actually belive that solo is possible either but I stood in amazement to see Jon do it in front of me at the Joiners Arms in Southampton.

I grew up listening to the Cardiacs as my older brother was/is a huge fan.  'All the glitters is a mares nest ' Is a totally sublime live album. 

Shit, sorry! I mean nothing by it, you wouldn't have been the only one - I am often like that... sometimes I mean to check something out and don't for ages, the moment has to be right. I've lost count of how many times I've been given advice, not taken it and then wished I had once I found out for myself, sometimes years later. It happened eventually anyway, I've fallen hard  

Do you know the Dowling Poole? Saw them recently and met Jon, what a lovely man. They're an amazing, amazing band.

axisus

I have never heard a single note by the cardiacs. Not practical to listen right now, I must remember to come back

Funkfingers

axisus said:

Not practical to listen right now

Too many irons in the fire?

axisus said:

I have never heard a single note by the cardiacs.

Cardiacs. (No definitive article.) Meanwhile, either somebody did not read the thread from the beginning or I am on yet another Ignore List.

digitalscream

Ye gods. That was horrible.

Flanging_Fred

digitalscream said:

Ye gods. That was horrible.

I think everyone who hears the Cardiacs for the first time has that reaction.

 They were a very unusual band and it does take time to 'get' them.  Of course a lot of people won't like them at all but I found that if they do start to grow on you, you end up absolutely LOVING them. Very much a marmite band.

Flanging_Fred

Oh, and @Bucket if you ever wondered why I play Westone and Shergold guitars...

wellsyboy

digitalscream said:

Ye gods. That was horrible.

+1 - yuk! Pain in my ears!

vasselmeyer

Sounds like the bastard child of Robert Fripp and Yngwie on speed. I consider myself open to most new music by that really doesn't stroke my goat.

JerkMoans

vasselmeyer said:

.....that really doesn't stroke my goat.

Totally nicking that for the next fetish party

Bridgehouse

JerkMoans said:

vasselmeyer said:

.....that really doesn't stroke my goat.

Totally nicking that for the next fetish party

Er... Jerk... Moans..  Goat...  Stroking...... ??

Might be a good album title

Sarge

Flanging_Fred said:

Oh, and @Bucket if you ever wondered why I play Westone and Shergold guitars...




A thunder with spectrum neck and concord headstock.... Spectrum II maybe? 

Bucket

Sarge said:
A thunder with spectrum neck and concord headstock.... Spectrum II maybe? 

While you're at it, what the blue-rinsed hell is Tim playing in the "Is This The Life?" video? Never been able to place it.